Martin Restoule

My Skills Background

I am an Automobile Technology Technician professor at Algonquin College, in Ottawa. I teach future technicians the provincial curriculum required to help them with their daily jobs and to earn their Certificate of Qualification. I am passionate about my occupation because I get to work with many skilled young people who are starting out in this trade. To witness these technicians work through challenges and improve daily is a very rewarding experience for me.

I have been the Canadian Automobile Technology Expert since WorldSkills Calgary 2009, which is a total of seven competitions.

The Importance of Training

The training is extremely important. The competitor has to be honest with their technical abilities and tell me what they feel their strengths and weaknesses are. We will then set out a training schedule to best suit the needs of the individual. Depending on whether they are still in school and/or working will determine the amount of extra training time planned. During the training, we concentrate on a few main areas which are technical ability and knowledge, speed, proficiency, attitude and mental strength.

I do most of the training planning while the trainer carries out the actual training. I encourage the trainer to focus on developing the competitors’ technical skills. We then progress to improving the operational speed to be able to compete at a more proficient level. Throughout the training process, I encourage the trainer to be positive along the journey, even during setbacks. The competitor must always stay confident in their abilities.

The Value of the Skills for Success
Automobile Technology relies heavily on reading, digital, problem solving, communication, and adaptability in equal parts.

Why I Love Volunteering
I enjoy seeing the growth of the competitor over the training period and how they deal with the competition. The whole process and the many dedicated people involved (nationally and internationally) are very uplifting.

As an Expert, I enjoy seeing our competitor get to compete and make friends with competitors from other countries. I enjoy seeing the different levels of expertise from around the world and the different ways of solving the same problems. I look forward to meeting the other Experts and discussing best practices.